Miss Universe facts for kids

For the most recent competition, see Miss Universe 2024. For the upcoming competition, see Miss Universe 2025.

"MUO" redirects here. For other uses, see MUO (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids
Miss Universe

Type	International women's beauty pageant
Parent organization	JKN Legacy Inc. JKN Global Group (50%) Legacy Holding Group (50%)
Headquarters	Samut Prakan, Thailand Mexico City, Mexico New York City, United States
First edition	1952
Most recent edition	2024
Current titleholder	Victoria Kjær Theilvig Denmark
Owners	Raul Rocha Cantú
CEO	Ronald Day
President	Raul Rocha Cantú
Vice Presidents	Olivia Quido Mario Búcaro
Language/s	English

Miss Universe is a big international beauty pageant held every year. It is run by the Miss Universe Organization, which has offices in Thailand and Mexico. Miss Universe is one of the "Big Four" beauty pageants, along with Miss World, Miss International, and Miss Earth.

The Miss Universe Organization is currently owned by JKN Global Group and Legacy Holding Group USA Inc. These companies work together through a joint company called JKN Legacy Inc. The pageant aims to support important causes and help make positive changes in the world.

The current Miss Universe is Victoria Kjær Theilvig from Denmark. She won the crown on November 16, 2024, in Mexico City, Mexico.

The Story of Miss Universe
How Contestants Are Chosen
The Main Pageant Event
Miss Universe Crowns
- Gallery of Miss Universe crowns
Recent Miss Universe Winners
- Gallery of winners
About the Miss Universe Organization
- Gallery
Miss Universe in Other Media
See also

The Story of Miss Universe

Miss Universe sash from 2001 until 2022

The name "Miss Universe" was first used for a different contest in 1926. That contest happened every year until 1935. It stopped because of the Great Depression and events leading up to World War II.

The Miss Universe pageant we know today started in 1952. It was created by Pacific Knitting Mills, a company that made swimwear. They used to sponsor the Miss America pageant. But in 1951, the Miss America winner refused to pose in their swimsuits. So, Pacific Knitting Mills decided to start their own pageants: Miss USA and Miss Universe.

Armi Kuusela, the first Miss Universe, meeting people in Helsinki, Finland

The very first Miss Universe pageant was held in Long Beach, California, in 1952. The winner was Armi Kuusela from Finland. She gave up her title early to get married. For a few years, the Miss Universe title was dated for the year after the contest. So, Armi Kuusela was called Miss Universe 1953.

The pageant was first shown on TV in 1955. Over the years, different companies owned and broadcasted the pageant. Donald Trump bought the pageant in 1996. In 1998, the organization changed its name to the Miss Universe Organization and moved its main office to New York City.

In 2015, a TV company stopped working with Donald Trump because of certain statements he made. Trump then bought out their share and became the sole owner. A few days later, he sold the entire company to WME/IMG.

On October 26, 2022, a company from Thailand called JKN Global Group bought the Miss Universe Organization. This made Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip the first transgender woman to own the organization. It was also the first time the organization's main office moved outside the U.S.

How Contestants Are Chosen

To join Miss Universe, a country needs a local company or person to buy the rights to the competition. This is called a franchise fee. It gives them the right to use the Miss Universe name and brand in their country. Sometimes, these rights are sold to new owners.

Usually, a country chooses its candidate through smaller pageants in different areas. The winners then compete in a national pageant. However, some countries pick their candidate in other ways. For example, Australia used a modeling agency to choose its delegates for a few years.

Many new countries have joined the pageant recently. These include Cameroon (2020), Bahrain (2021), Bhutan (2022), and Pakistan (2023). In 2024, Belarus, Eritrea, Guinea, Macau, Maldives, Moldova, North Macedonia, Somalia, United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan also joined. Macau was the newest country to have a semifinalist in 2024.

Botswana was the most recent country to win Miss Universe in its first year of competing, with Mpule Kwelagobe in 1999. Denmark is the most recent country to get its first national win, with Victoria Kjær Theilvig in 2024.

Some countries don't participate because of cultural reasons, especially related to the swimsuit competition. Also, the franchise fees can be expensive. Miss Universe is very popular in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Countries like the United States, Philippines, Colombia, Venezuela, South Africa, and Thailand have had many semifinalists and winners. Since 1952, only two countries have been in every Miss Universe pageant: Canada and France.

Since 2012, openly transgender women have been allowed to compete if they win their national pageants. In 2018, Angela Ponce from Spain became the first openly transgender candidate to compete. In 2019, Swe Zin Htet from Myanmar was the first openly lesbian woman to compete. In 2021, Beatrice Gomez from the Philippines became the first openly bisexual contestant to reach the semifinals. In 2023, Marina Machete from Portugal was the first transgender contestant to reach the semifinals.

Before, contestants could not be married, have had a marriage ended, or have had children. They also had to stay unmarried during their reign. However, in August 2022, the Miss Universe Organization announced new rules. Now, mothers, married women, or pregnant women can compete. This new rule started in 2023. Camila Avella from Colombia was the first mother to reach the semifinals in 2023.

The pageant has always had a strict minimum age of 18. If a national winner is under 18, she must be replaced. In recent years, all Miss Universe candidates have needed to have a university degree or be working professionals. In September 2023, the organization announced that there would no longer be an upper age limit. This means that starting in 2024, any adult woman can compete to be Miss Universe.

The Main Pageant Event

The Miss Universe competition usually takes place over two weeks, between early November and late January. Sometimes, it's moved to the next year because of TV schedules or other big events like the Olympics. Since 2022, the host country for the next pageant is announced during the live crowning night.

The Miss Universe contest is more than just a beauty pageant. Contestants are expected to be smart, well-behaved, and cultured. They compete in swimsuit and evening gown rounds. If a contestant doesn't do well in any round, she might be eliminated. Judges score the contestants, and the lowest scores are removed in each round. Since 2011, the public can also vote for a semifinalist. All semifinalists are announced at the start of the live show.

The winner signs a contract with the Miss Universe Organization. She becomes an ambassador for a year, speaking about important causes like health issues, peace, and women's rights. The winner also receives money, a scholarship, modeling opportunities, beauty products, clothes, and styling services. She gets to go to special events in New York City. From 1996 to 2015, the winner also got to use an apartment in New York City. Since 2022, the winner and the two runners-up live in New York and Bangkok.

If the winner cannot do her duties, the first runner-up takes over. This has only happened once. In 2002, Justine Pasek from Panama became Miss Universe after Oxana Fedorova from Russia was no longer able to hold the title. Besides the main winner, special awards are given for Best National Costume, Miss Photogenic, and Miss Congeniality. Miss Congeniality is chosen by the contestants themselves. Miss Photogenic is chosen by online fan votes. The Best National Costume winner is announced during the final show. Starting in 2024, Continental Queens are also announced and travel with the Miss Universe winner.

Miss Universe Crowns

The Miss Universe crown has changed twelve times in its 70-year history.

The Romanov Imperial Nuptial Crown (1952) was the first crown. It had 1,529 diamonds and was worth a lot of money. Armi Kuusela wore it.
The Christiane Martell Crown (1953) was a solid metallic bronze crown. Christiane Martel was the only winner to wear it.
The Star of the Universe (1954–1960) was shaped like a star. It had about 1,000 black pearls and was also very valuable.
The Rhinestone Crown (1961–1962) was made of rhinestones. It was used for the pageant's tenth anniversary.
The Coventry Crown (1963–2001) was designed by Sarah Coventry. It featured a female figure and was later changed to be more comfortable. It was known as The Chandelier Crown.
The Mikimoto Phoenix Crown (2002–2007, and 2017–2018) was designed by the Mikimoto Company. It looked like a phoenix rising, symbolizing power and beauty. It had diamonds and pearls and was valued at US$250,000.
The CAO Crown (2008) was designed by Rosalina Lydster and Dang Kim Lien from Vietnam. It was made of gold and had over 1,000 precious stones. It was valued at US$120,000.
The Diamond Nexus Peace Crown (2009–2013) was chosen by fans online. It had many gemstones and was made of gold and platinum. It also featured red gems to represent awareness for health issues.
The DIC Crown (2014–2016) was made by a Czech company. It looked like the Manhattan Skyline and had diamonds, blue topaz, and sapphires. It was worth about US$300,000.
The Mouawad Power of Unity Crown (2019–2021) was made by Mouawad Jewelry. It is one of the most expensive pageant crowns ever, worth almost US$6 million. It has a large golden diamond and symbolizes ambition and diversity.
The Mouawad Force for Good Crown (2022–2023) is the second Mouawad crown. It has many blue sapphires and white diamonds, with a large royal blue sapphire in the middle.
The Jewelmer Lumière de l’Infini Crown (2024–present) was revealed in November 2024. It was designed by a Philippine jewelry company. It has gold and platinum, hundreds of diamonds, and 23 golden pearls. The name means "Light of Infinity" or "Infinite Brilliance."

Gallery of Miss Universe crowns

The Christiane Martell Crown , as worn by Miss Universe 1953, Christiane Martel
The Star of the Universe Crown, as worn by Miss Universe 1957, Gladys Zender
The Coventry Crown, as worn by Miss Universe 1968, Martha Vasconcellos
The Mikimoto Phoenix Crown as worn by Miss Universe 2005, Natalie Glebova
The CAO Crown as worn by Miss Universe 2008, Dayana Mendoza
The Diamond Nexus Peace Crown as worn by Miss Universe 2011, Leila Lopes
The DIC Crown as worn by Miss Universe 2015, Pia Wurtzbach
The Mouawad Power of Unity Crown as worn by Miss Universe 2019, Zozibini Tunzi

Recent Miss Universe Winners

Edition	Year	Country/Territory	Miss Universe	National title	Competition venue	Number of entrants
69th	2020	Mexico	Andrea Meza	Mexicana Universal 2020	Hollywood, Florida, United States	74
70th	2021	India	Harnaaz Sandhu	Miss Diva Universe 2021	Eilat, Israel	80
71st	2022	United States	R'Bonney Gabriel	Miss USA 2022	New Orleans, Louisiana, United States	83
72nd	2023	Nicaragua	Sheynnis Palacios	Miss Nicaragua 2023	San Salvador, El Salvador	84
73rd	2024	Denmark	Victoria Kjær Theilvig	Miss Universe Denmark 2024	Mexico City, Mexico	125

Gallery of winners

Miss Universe 2024
Victoria Kjær Theilvig
Denmark
Miss Universe 2023
Sheynnis Palacios
Nicaragua
Miss Universe 2022
R'Bonney Gabriel
United States
Miss Universe 2021
Harnaaz Sandhu
India
Miss Universe 2020
Andrea Meza
Mexico
Miss Universe 2019
Zozibini Tunzi
South Africa
Miss Universe 2018
Catriona Gray
Philippines
Miss Universe 2017
Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters
South Africa
Miss Universe 2016
Iris Mittenaere
France
Miss Universe 2015
Pia Wurtzbach
Philippines
Miss Universe 2014
Paulina Vega
Colombia
Miss Universe 2013
Gabriela Isler
Venezuela
Miss Universe 2012
Olivia Culpo
United States
Miss Universe 2011
Leila Lopes
Angola
Miss Universe 2010
Ximena Navarrete
Mexico
Miss Universe 2009
Stefanía Fernández
Venezuela
Miss Universe 2008
Dayana Mendoza
Venezuela
Miss Universe 2006
Zuleyka Rivera
Puerto Rico
Miss Universe 2005
Natalie Glebova
Canada
Miss Universe 2004
Jennifer Hawkins
Australia
Miss Universe 2003
Amelia Vega
Dominican Republic
Miss Universe 2002
Justine Pasek
Panama
Miss Universe 2001
Denise Quiñones
Puerto Rico
Miss Universe 2000
Lara Dutta
India
Miss Universe 1999
Mpule Kwelagobe
Botswana
Miss Universe 1998
Wendy Fitzwilliam
Trinidad and Tobago
Miss Universe 1997
Brook Lee
United States
Miss Universe 1993
Dayanara Torres
Puerto Rico
Miss Universe 1992
Michelle McLean
Namibia
Miss Universe 1991
Lupita Jones
México
Miss Universe 1989
Angela Visser
Netherlands
Miss Universe 1987
Cecilia Bolocco
Chile
Miss Universe 1986
Bárbara Palacios
Venezuela
Miss Universe 1984
Yvonne Ryding
Sweden
Miss Universe 1983
Lorraine Downes
New Zealand
Miss Universe 1980
Shawn Weatherly
United States
Miss Universe 1979
Maritza Sayalero
Venezuela
Miss Universe 1978
Margaret Gardiner
South Africa
Miss Universe 1977
Janelle Commissiong
Trinidad and Tobago
Miss Universe 1976
Rina Messinger
Israel
Miss Universe 1973
Margie Moran
Philippines
Miss Universe 1971
Georgina Rizk
Lebanon
Miss Universe 1970
Marisol Malaret
Puerto Rico
Miss Universe 1969
Gloria Diaz
Philippines
Miss Universe 1968
Martha Vasconcellos
Brazil
Miss Universe 1967
Sylvia Hitchcock
United States
Miss Universe 1965
Apasra Hongsakula
Thailand
Miss Universe 1963
Iêda Maria Vargas
Brazil
Miss Universe 1960
Linda Bement
United States
Miss Universe 1959
Akiko Kojima
Japan
Miss Universe 1958
Luz Marina Zuluaga
Colombia
Miss Universe 1957
Gladys Zender
Peru
Miss Universe 1956
Carol Morris
United States
Miss Universe 1955
Hillevi Rombin
Sweden
Miss Universe 1954
Miriam Stevenson
United States
Miss Universe 1953
Christiane Martel
France
Miss Universe 1952
Armi Kuusela
Finland

About the Miss Universe Organization

The Miss Universe Organization is the group that runs the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA beauty pageants. From 2020 to 2022, other groups managed Miss USA and Miss Teen USA. But in October 2022, these pageants returned to the Miss Universe Organization.

The organization is based in New York City and Bangkok. It is owned by the Thai JKN Global Group since October 26, 2022. The organization sells the rights for TV companies in different countries to show the pageants.

Gallery

Gloria Diaz, Miss Universe 1969, and Margarita Moran, Miss Universe 1973, at the Miss Universe 2016 red carpet in Manila, the Philippines
Crystle Stewart, Miss USA 2008 and Dayana Mendoza, Miss Universe 2008 at Guantanamo Bay
Crystle Stewart, Miss USA 2008 and Stevi Perry, Miss Teen USA 2008
Hilary Cruz, Miss Teen USA 2007 and Riyo Mori, Miss Universe 2007 at a fashion event before the Miss USA 2008 pageant.
Miss Universe 2002, Justine Pasek, with Miss USA 2002, Shauntay Hinton and Miss Teen USA 2002, Vanessa Semrow at Guantanamo Bay
Shawn Weatherly, Miss Universe 1980 and Kim Seelbrede, Miss USA 1981 with then-US President Ronald Reagan